Greece
Athens
Away-day guide
Athens is a strong weekend away destination: cheap food, late bars and a metro that reaches all three likely venues. Matchday policing can be strict, though, so base yourselves centrally and expect an escorted coach rather than an independent trip to the ground.
Public transport
The metro is the quickest option for most supporters: Line 1 links Piraeus, Monastiraki, Nea Filadelfia's nearest stations and OAKA; Lines 2 and 3 cross the centre, with Line 3 also serving the airport. A standard 90-minute ticket costs 1.20 and permits transfers between metro, tram, bus and trolleybus within the time limit, excluding airport journeys. A 24-hour ticket costs 4.10 and a five-day ticket 8.20; neither includes the airport. Buy an ATH.ENA Ticket from a machine or staffed counter and validate it at metro gates or when boarding surface transport. OASA Telematics is useful for live bus and trolleybus arrivals; Google Maps and Moovit are generally easier for planning complete journeys. Taxis are inexpensive by northern European standards, but use the meter or book through Free Now or Uber, which dispatch licensed local taxis.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 5
- Coffee
- EUR 3.5
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 15
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 40
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 1.2
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos ATH primary 33 km Metro Line 3 runs to Syntagma and Monastiraki in roughly 40 minutes; the airport ticket is separate from normal city fares. Suburban trains serve Athens railway station and Piraeus. The X95 express bus runs to Syntagma, with X96 serving Piraeus; buses are slower but run through the night. The only genuinely practical airport for an Athens weekend. Low-cost and full-service airlines both use it, so a distant alternative rarely saves enough to justify the transfer.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
AEK Athens
Home fans: AEK's main pre-match territory is Nea Filadelfia, particularly around Fokon and Leoforos Dekelias. Yellow-and-black venues include I Poli, ThiRio/Pasatempo, Joga, Eleven, Kitrini Gkazoza and Skantzoxoiros.
Away fans: Visiting fans are normally better around Monastiraki, Pangrati or Proskopon. Athens Sports Bar, The James Joyce Irish Pub and Red Lion Pub are familiar neutral choices. Avoid the AEK bars around Fokon and Leoforos Dekelias in away colours, and do not travel independently to Nea Filadelfia if the visiting club or police have ordered escorted transport.
AEK play at OPAP Arena. European away arrangements have included a city-centre meeting point near the Panathenaic Stadium, mandatory buses, searches and ticket plus photographic-ID checks. Wait for the fixture-specific SLO notice before displaying colours or travelling towards the ground.
Panathinaikos
Home fans: The traditional Panathinaikos district is Ampelokipi around the old Leoforos ground. Club-linked venues include STockHoLM pUb, Oinomageirio To Tryfilli and Green Art Café, formerly Mad Boys 13 Bar.
Away fans: Use central Athens rather than the OAKA area. Monastiraki is the simplest meeting area, with Athens Sports Bar, The James Joyce Irish Pub and Red Lion Pub among the regular neutral recommendations. Avoid explicitly Panathinaikos-themed bars in Ampelokipi when wearing away colours.
Panathinaikos are using OAKA for all 2026/27 home matches, so their traditional Ampelokipi pubs are no longer beside the match venue. Recent European visitors have faced mandatory coaches from the Panathenaic Stadium, ticket and ID checks, and no alcohol on the coaches or inside OAKA.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Psyrri and the lanes north of Monastiraki have the easiest concentration of late bars and are convenient for a short trip, though prices rise around the main square. Gazi, around Kerameikos metro station, is the late-night clubbing district. Exarchia has cheaper, less polished bars and plenty of food, but demonstrations and a visible police presence are common. Pangrati is calmer and more local, with good bars around Varnava Square, while Koukaki suits groups wanting food and drinks without an all-night session. Plaka is attractive for an early drink but generally touristy and poor value.
Food & drink
Try souvlaki or gyros, grilled bifteki, moussaka, pastitsio, spanakopita, loukoumades and meze such as tzatziki, fried courgettes and saganaki. For a group, a neighbourhood taverna where everyone shares grilled meat, salads and starters is usually better value than eating around Plaka. The usual local drinks are lager, retsina, ouzo and tsipouro; the latter two are strong and best taken with food. Freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino are the standard cold coffees and are available everywhere.
Cheap eats & beer
For a cheap central feed, try Kostas near Agia Irini Square for souvlaki, Falafellas on Aiolou for falafel wraps, Lefteris O Politis near Omonia for kebabs, or Diporto off Sokratous Street for no-frills lunchtime Greek cooking. Atlantikos in Psyrri is useful for inexpensive seafood shared across a group. Souvlaki or gyros generally costs about 3.50-5.00, while a bakery pie is often 2.00-3.50. Exarchia usually has cheaper beer than Monastiraki, Plaka or the rooftop bars; simple bars and student places commonly charge 3.50-5.00 for a beer, while tourist-centre sports pubs can be 5.00-7.00. Athens Sports Bar, The James Joyce Irish Pub and Red Lion Pub are established central places for football, although none is especially cheap. Kiosks sell cold cans for much less, but keep drinking sensible and follow any police restrictions on bottles or alcohol at meeting points. Do not head to Nea Filadelfia, Ampelokipi or Neo Faliro looking for a cheap supporters' pub in away colours: those are established home areas.
Staying safe
Pickpocketing is the main everyday problem, especially on busy Metro Lines 1 and 3, around Monastiraki and Omonia, and on airport services. Keep phones and wallets out of back pockets and do not leave bags hanging from café chairs. Use a metered or app-booked taxi and check that a card payment is available before setting off. Avoid demonstrations around Syntagma, Exarchia and university buildings; routes can change quickly and tear gas is occasionally used. Traffic is aggressive, so take care at crossings even when you appear to have priority. In summer, carry water and avoid a long exposed walk to a stadium. Most importantly for football trips, do not display away colours in established home-supporter districts and do not separate from an official coach movement.
On matchday
Do not assume you can make your own way to the away end. Athens European fixtures regularly use a mandatory city-centre meeting point, commonly by the Panathenaic Stadium, followed by police-escorted buses; ticket and photographic-ID checks may happen before boarding and again at the stadium. Away sections are segregated, with searches, buffer zones and a hold-back after full time all possible. Police can close the nearest station, roads or pedestrian approaches at short notice, particularly at OPAP Arena and Karaiskakis Stadium. Keep your passport with you, carry the same ID used for the ticket and follow the visiting club's SLO instructions over older online advice. Avoid travelling through Nea Filadelfia, Panathinaikos bars in Ampelokipi, or Neo Faliro/Piraeus in away colours unless official guidance explicitly allows it.